Splish Splash

Yesterday we went with some friends to the Army post just south of us, Camp Humpreys. They have a waterpark open during the summer! Oh my goodness, a waterpark!? Is there a better way to wear out your kids? We went with my friends Dene and Sariah and their kiddos. Carter plays so well with all of them and they are so nice to help watch Carter while I nurse the baby. My goal of the day was to come home with NO BABIES SUNBURNED! Well, I accomplished that, but did not succeed myself. I completely forgot about my back, and well, it's a little more than tender.

Carter's favorite part of the whole park. He kept saying, "Mom, I spray you with a BIG FIRE HOSE! S'posed to runaway, not take pictures!"



Pretty serious about his 'job'.



The baby area. Lots of fountains and little slides in about 2 inches of water.



This is how Clay enjoyed the water park.



The big kids section. Carter could do this all by himself!



A better view of the baby area.



Carter going down the slide!

Daddy

Thanks for being so strict when I didn't know I needed it.

Thanks for being so funny. (Believe me, I'm glad I got your sense of humor instead of mamas.)

I'm so glad and proud that I've become more and more like you as I've gotten older.

Thanks for loving my mama, brother and me so much.

Thanks for finally letting me get that dog (Sweet Rocky) and all those hamsters that you didn't really want in the first place. Even though you knew within a week that Josh and I would stop taking care of them like we promised.

Thanks for loving my kiddos so much (and buying Wiggles concert tickets for them this year!)

Thanks for making me give you a kiss EVERYDAY when you dropped me off at school. (Even when I didn't want to).

Thanks for forgiving me for all the bad, horrible things I said to you when I was a bad, horrible, ungrateful teenager.

Thanks for teaching me how a REAL MAN treats a woman.

and,

Thanks for not being a vegetarian. Beacause I really, really, love bacon.

I LOVE YOU.

Boobs!

Yeah I know my dad and my brother and other men who have no interest in my boobs, read this blog. But that's half the problem anyway. We, as Americans, cannot separate sex from boobs. Granted, I didn't separate it until I was 20 years old, but that's a problem too! Our children should know what breasts are for - they're for feeding babies. Ask any kid that - you think that's what they'll tell you?
I have a few points to make here.

1. Enfamil is falsely advertising new formula as "Breast Milk" formula. Which is wrong, unethical and you can read more about it here. They are claiming this stuff is as good as the real thing. But read about why it's more than just that here. Read how by allowing formula companies to do this, we're funding their advertising which is causing babies all over the world to die.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against formula. I don't judge the bottle. Carter never had more than a drop of breast milk his whole life. He was a formula baby and is smart, healthy and perfectly fine. But like Anna says, "I'd like to see them spend a few of those dollars coming up with a better recipe for artificial baby milk for the people who really need it, but they don't have to".
Please help us take action, and help protect babies.

My second point has nothing to do with formula at all - but about the fact that it's ridiculous for people to be "offended" by nursing moms.
The best way I can think to explain it is, asking (or expecting) a mom not to nurse in public is like asking someone not to wave an American Flag, in AMERICA.
Waving an American flag is a right, we DO live in America (okay well, I don't at this moment, but you get the point) and we're proud to. If someone was offended by me flying an American flag in public - should I have to take it down? Should I cover it up because someone from another country might be offended?

NO.

Nursing a baby is natural, it's what they do! And no, I can't just go out around feedings. Because really - my 6 month old didn't wake up this morning write out a schedule and say, "Mom - this is when I'm going to eat, so if you could be home, in your car or holed up in a dirty bathroom during these times - that'd be great!" My kid has just as much of a right to eat as you do.
And you know what - I cover up. I'm not walking around with my goods hanging out all day, but even if I didn't, for someone to be "offended" by it. makes me irate. If you're offended, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry that your mind is so deranged, you can't separate sex from boobs.
If you're offended, YOU can leave.
I just don't see why breastfeeding has to be controversial. Is you want to do it - GREAT! If not- GREAT! But don't judge people one way or the other. If you want to do it for 1 week, great. for 10 years, fine! But it's no body's business but yours and you decide what/when/how you want to do it. End of story.

Okay - deep breath - sorry for the tirade...but it's my blog, and they're MY boobs.

Hey looky looky!

Look what I found at Happy Quilt!



Is that what I think it is? It's...it's...it's....

















I also bought this for Curtains for Clay's room. Fabric's cheap here, and I figure I'll try my hand at some curtains.

Nothing

I'm sorry for the scattering of posting I've been doing lately. But really nothing has been going on over here.
Carter's working on mastering a smart mouth (which I'm trying to nip in the bud with a new book I'm reading) and Clayton's just...himself.
We're stuck in what my friend calls "Default Days". Here in Osan when you ask, "What have y'all been doing?" everyone usually has the exact same answer.
"Oh, you know, I went to the bx, let the kids play in the playground thing, we stopped by the commissary, checked the mail, had a dr's appointment - and waited for an hour - then we went off base to pick up something we ordered this weekend."
So, instead of saying that several times everyday, they just say. "It was a default day (or D-day)."
And everyone knows what you did.
But I think what it really is for me is that nothing compares to my trip to the states in a few weeks. Everything else seems pretty small and insignificant these days.
Unlike a few people I know, I plan on posting a TON while in the states. Just to make all you leftover Osanites drool with envy.
Don't you like that I called y'all leftovers? And that I wanted to make you drool with envy? I am SUCH a good friend.
In just a few short weeks I will be posting about Target! and Walmart! and Chick-fil-a! I might write a whole post about how the US smells!

You just wait!

Better Days

Starting on Monday - last week put me in a HUGE funk. One of my best friends - Anna Jane, traded me in for America (and later on for Germany), I ended up not going to Hawaii (a last minute trip that was planned with a friend) another so called friend traded me in for Washington and another awesome friend of mine's parents were in town (so she was nowhere to be seen).
I ended up not even getting dressed until Thursday and didn't make dinner all week - for anyone.
It rained on Tuesday and Thursday (which only makes things worse in my book) and I was all but about to commit myself when things suddenly started looking up.
My brother in law Rich was able to come into town for a day and a half after a business meeting in Seoul. The weather turned absolutely beautiful, I went purse shopping and I realized Carter hadn't had an accident in several days.
Cory was home ALL WEEKEND! We had a FABULOUS picnic in the park on Saturday evening and a TWO great birthday parties on Sunday.

It's amazing how (here at least) the smallest things can turn your whole day (or week) around!

Oh, and I got some AWESOME, (enormous) Costco totes in the mail from my mil in the mail today!

6 Months

Clay turned 6 months, oooh, almost a month ago. (Sorry, that's what you get for being second born) and while he's still such a stinkin cutie, and such a good baby, he has been awfully fussy this month. We're on week two of nonsensical crying. I'm attributing it to teething, but really in parenting terms that means "My kid is driving me crazy with all of this crying and I don't know what the heck is going on."
Clay isn't cringing as much when he hears Carter's voice and he's rolling over really well. We just started rice cereal and baby food and he seems to be a big fan. I have been trying to wean him slowly off the bottle to just the "goods" and solid food. I had these grand ideas of solid food making my life easier this time around, because I could get rid of the supplements (or most of them). But, now he just wants all three. This kid now eats all day. After nursing, he then wants solids and then he still wants the bottle. I feel like we're back to when he was a month old when all I did was feed him for hours each day. At least this time he's gaining weight (LOTS OF IT!)
Clay's about 17 pounds (1 pound lighter than Carter at a year old) and such a joy to have here. He's so smiley and pleasant and I'm just so glad he doesn't talk back yet. :)